A smart system for determining driving behaviour of driver

Abstract

A system ( 1 ) for efficiently determining a driving behaviour of a driver driving a vehicle. The system includes a 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) generating accelerometer data ( 3 ), a direction sensor ( 4 ) generating direction data ( 5 ) and orientation sensor ( 6 ) generating orientation and angular velocity data ( 7 ), all placed inside the vehicle. The system ( 1 ) also includes a processing unit ( 8 ) which processes the accelerometer data ( 3 ), the direction data ( 5 ) and the orientation data ( 7 ), and calibrates the accelerometer data ( 3 ) to generate a calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ). The calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ) is used in determining the driving behaviour of the driver of the vehicle and generate Driving Deficiency Alerts, including but not limited to Over-speeding. Hard acceleration. Sudden Braking, Fast Cornering, Quick Lane Changing, Distracted Driving, Dangerous Driving over bumps and Crash Detection.

I/we claims: 
     
         1 . A system ( 1 ) to efficiently determine a driving behaviour of a driver driving a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) placed inside the vehicle, the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) is adapted to generate an accelerometer data ( 3 ) related to an acceleration of the vehicle at each time instant;   a direction sensor ( 4 ) placed inside the vehicle, and adapted to generate a direction data ( 5 ) related to a direction in which the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) is travelling;   an orientation sensor ( 6 ) placed inside the vehicle, and adapted to generate an orientation data ( 7 ) related to an orientation and an angular velocity of the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ); and   a processing unit ( 8 ) adapted to process the accelerometer data ( 3 ), the direction data ( 5 ) and the orientation data ( 7 ), and to re-calibrate the accelerometer data ( 3 ) to generate a calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ) where the 3 axes of accelerometer are aligned with the direction of the vehicle,   wherein the calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ) is used in determining the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the direction data ( 5 ) to determine deviation in the direction data ( 5 ), and based on such determination, adapted to process the accelerometer data ( 3 ) and the orientation data ( 7 ) to re-calibrate the accelerometer data ( 3 ) and to generate the calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ). 
     
     
         3 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to receive the orientation data ( 7 ) for a predefined period of time, to match orientation data ( 7 ) for various instances in the predefined time period, and to divide the orientation data ( 7 ) in two sections:
 a stable orientation data ( 10 ) for one or more sections in the predefined time period when a difference in the orientation data ( 7 ) is within a first predefined threshold ( 12 ) with respect to sequential instances or sequential stretch of instances, and   an unstable orientation data ( 11 ) for one or more sections in the predefined time period when the difference of the orientation data ( 7 ) is outside the first predefined threshold ( 12 ) with respect to sequential instances or sequential stretch of instances,   wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the stable orientation data ( 11 ) along with the accelerometer data ( 3 ) to re-calibrate the accelerometer data ( 3 ) and to generate the calibrated accelerometer data ( 9 ).   
     
     
         4 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the stable orientation data ( 10 ) and to generate an angular data ( 18 ) comprising:
 a phi angle of orientation ( 19 ) of the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) with respect to a frame of reference of the vehicle, which is representative of first rotation angle around Z-axis of the frame of reference, and   a theta angle of orientation ( 20 ) of the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) with respect to the frame of reference of the vehicle, which is representative of tilt around a Y-axis of the frame of reference,   wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to compare a change in angular data ( 21 ) with a second predefined threshold ( 22 ), and if:   the change in angular data ( 21 ) is within the second predefined threshold ( 22 ), then the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to split the angular data ( 18 ) into smaller sub-sections periods and calculate a moving average of the angular data ( 23 ), or   the change in angular data ( 21 ) is within the second predefined threshold ( 22 ), then the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to generate a median value of the angular data ( 24 ).   Wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the moving average of the angular data ( 23 ) or the median value of the angular data ( 24 ) along with the accelerometer data ( 2 ) to re-calibrate the accelerometer data ( 2 ) and to generate the intermediate corrected accelerometer data in the horizontal (XY) plane of the vehicle ( 9 - 1 ).   
     
     
         5 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to compare the intermediate corrected accelerometer data ( 9 - 1 ) with a third predefined threshold ( 25 ), and to compare the direction data ( 5 ) for corresponding period with a fourth predefined threshold ( 26 ), and if the intermediate corrected accelerometer ( 9 - 1 ) is above the third predefined threshold ( 25 ) and the direction data ( 5 ) is below the fourth predefined threshold ( 26 ), the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine a psi angle of orientation ( 27 ) of the 3-axis accelerometer ( 2 ) with respect to the frame of reference of the vehicle for the stable period, which is representative of second rotation around Z-axis of the frame of reference, the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine most frequent or most likelihood psi angle ( 28 ), and to process the angular data ( 18 ) along with the determined psi angle ( 28 ) and the intermediate corrected accelerometer data ( 9 - 1 ) to re-calibrate the intermediate corrected accelerometer data ( 9 - 1 ) and to generate the final calibrated accelerometer data, where the 3 axes of accelerometer are aligned with the direction of the vehicle. ( 9 ). 
     
     
         6 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to compare the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in the horizontal (XY) plane of the vehicle at each time instance with a fifth predefined threshold ( 29 ), and if a magnitude of the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) is above the fifth predefined threshold ( 29 ), the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine such time instance as an inappropriate driving behaviour instance ( 30 ). 
     
     
         7 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine a first pattern ( 31 ) in the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in direction of vehicle movement for successive time intervals for various inappropriate driving behaviour instances ( 30 ) and if the first pattern ( 31 ) matches a first predefined pattern ( 32 ), to determine the time interval as hard acceleration or deacceleration interval ( 33 ), and the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine a second pattern ( 34 ) in the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) perpendicular to direction of vehicle movement for successive time intervals for various inappropriate driving behaviour instances ( 30 ) and if the second pattern ( 34 ) is beyond a second predefined pattern ( 35 ), to determine the time interval as fast cornering or quick lane changing interval ( 36 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process hard acceleration or deacceleration intervals ( 33 ), and fast cornering or quick lane changing intervals ( 36 ), and if intervals ( 33 ,  36 ) of same type are lying within a predefined period ( 37 ), the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to combine the intervals of same type to generate a driving deficiency alert ( 38 ) of that type for the combined interval. 
     
     
         9 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to receive either a speed change information ( 39 ) or a direction change information ( 40 ), or combination thereof for various inappropriate driving behaviour instances ( 30 ), and to correlate the driving deficiency alert ( 38 ) with the speed change information ( 39 ) and/or a direction change information ( 40 ) to determine a correctness and severity ( 41 ) of the driving deficiency alert ( 38 ). 
     
     
         10 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 6 , the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) and the direction data ( 5 ) for various inappropriate driving behaviour instances ( 30 ) to determine a speed of the vehicle ( 42 ) during those instances, and to compare the speed of the vehicle ( 42 ) with a first predefined speed threshold ( 43 ), and if the speed of the vehicle ( 42 ) is above first predefined threshold speed ( 43 ), where the predefined threshold could be dynamically determined based on location of vehicle, the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine the instance as over speeding instance ( 44 ). 
     
     
         11 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process an orientation data ( 7 ) for unstable orientation data periods ( 11 ) to determine a orientation data pattern ( 45 ), and compare the data pattern ( 45 ) with a predefined orientation pattern ( 46 ), and if a match occurs, to determine the time interval as a phone usage time interval ( 47 ), and to correlate the phone usage time interval ( 47 ) with the speed of the vehicle ( 42 ) above a second pre-defined speed threshold ( 43 - 1 ) to determine the phone usage time interval as drive distraction time interval ( 48 ). 
     
     
         12 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in the direction of ground for small intervals of stable orientation data periods ( 10 ) and to determine a data pattern ( 49 ) in the corrected accelerometer data and to compare the data pattern ( 49 ) with a fifth predefined data pattern ( 50 ), and if a match occurs, to determine the interval as a bump detection interval ( 51 ), and to correlate the bump detection interval ( 51 ) with the speed of the vehicle ( 42 ) above a third pre-defined speed threshold ( 43 - 2 ) to determine the bump detection interval as dangerous driving over the bump instance ( 52 ). 
     
     
         13 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to process the speed ( 42 ) of the vehicle for small intervals to determine an abrupt change in speed ( 53 ), and to process the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) around the same time intervals to determine an acceleration pattern ( 54 ), and to correlate the abrupt change in speed ( 53 ) and the acceleration pattern ( 54 ) and match the acceleration pattern ( 54 ) with a sixth pre-defined pattern ( 61 ) to determine a crash detection instance ( 55 ). 
     
     
         14 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicles are adapted to rotate laterally, and wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to compare the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in a three-dimensional frame of the vehicle at each time instance with a ninth predefined threshold ( 56 ), and if the magnitude of the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) is above the ninth predefined threshold ( 56 ), the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine such time instance as an inappropriate driving behaviour instance ( 30 ). 
     
     
         15 . The system ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine a third pattern ( 57 ) in the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in direction of vehicle movement for successive time intervals and if the third pattern ( 57 ) matches a third predefined pattern ( 58 ), to determine the time interval as hard acceleration or deacceleration interval ( 33 ), and the processing unit ( 8 ) is adapted to determine a fourth pattern ( 59 ) in the corrected accelerometer data ( 9 ) in the plane perpendicular to direction of vehicle movement for successive time intervals and if the fourth pattern ( 59 ) is beyond a fourth predefined pattern ( 60 ), to determine the time interval as fast cornering or quick lane changing interval ( 36 ).